Russians Track Troubled US Spy Satellite

[SiberianTiger]

Just looked it up in a textbook, the stable points are at 75W and 105E, unstable points are at 15E and 165E.

So the KazSat should be right in the stable point, no? Or, if it's already underway, it will just swing by?

 

[simonpro]

As it's already moving it'll swing by the stable point. Eventually (if nothing is done) it'll end up oscillating around the point, much to the displeasure of anyone else with a satellite nearby.

 

[tblaxland]

Just looked it up in a textbook, the stable points are at 75W and 105E, unstable points are at 15E and 165E.

Drift rate is given by:

d2L/dt2 = C*Sin(150 - 2L)

C = [16.9 + 2.9*sin(L-35)]*10e-4

Where L is the longitude in degrees.